How sport helps fight stress

Sport affects hormones of happiness and stress

Sport affects the hormonal balance in the body, including the levels of happiness and stress hormones.

Hormones of happiness

• Endorphins. Physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins, natural opioid compounds that act as natural analgesics and have antidepressant effects. They create a feeling of euphoria and joy, improve mood.
• Serotonin. Exercising helps increase serotonin levels in the brain. It regulates mood, sleep, appetite and mental state. Thus, sport helps to get rid of stress not only directly during activity, but also through normalizing sleep and nutrition.

Stress hormones

• Norepinephrine and adrenaline. Physical work causes a slight stress response in the body, which leads to the release of norepinephrine and adrenaline. Regular exercise helps the body adapt to stressful situations, which helps you better control your stress response in everyday life.
• Cortisol. Excess cortisol affects metabolism and blood sugar levels, leading to increased appetite and fat storage, especially in the abdominal area. Sports help regulate cortisol levels, reducing anxiety levels.

How does sport improve concentration?

Another benefit of exercising for stress relief is increased levels of concentration in your daily life. Our trainers note that clients who regularly go to the gym and practice discipline become productive in other areas of their lives. This is achieved thanks to positive changes in the body:

1. improving blood circulation and oxygen supply. Exercise promotes efficient delivery of oxygen to organs, including the brain. This increases the body’s energy potential and mental activity, including concentration.
2. stimulation of brain functions. Regular exercise promotes the growth of new neurons and improves connections between them, which improves overall brain function, including areas responsible for concentration.
3. reducing stress and anxiety. Sports and stress are closely related, because training suppresses anxiety levels, which has a beneficial effect on concentration. Physical activity regulates hormone levels, including those associated with stress.

Training frees you from negative emotions and anger

Often our trainers motivate clients by saying that sport is a way to combat stress and free yourself from negativity. Very quickly these words are confirmed in practice, because this is achieved thanks to the natural processes of the body:

• Physical activity helps relax tense muscles. This reduces stress associated with pain and tightness in the soft tissues of the body.
• During training, a person is distracted from problems and negative thoughts, because he is focused on physical exercises and monitors the execution technique.
• During strength training, jumping, running, accumulated negative energy splashes out. After training, you feel relief, lightness and clarity of mind.

What types of exercise are most effective for mental health?

We analyzed that there are certain types of activity that have a pronounced effect in the fight against stress, fatigue, and insomnia.

• Aerobic training. Running, swimming, cycling improve blood circulation, stimulate the release of endorphins, help reduce stress and improve mood.
• Power training. This is an effective sport for relieving stress and shaping your figure. Working with dumbbells, pull-ups, push-ups develop and strengthen muscles, increase self-confidence.
• Yoga. Combines exercise, breathing techniques and meditation to strengthen the body and calm the mind, reducing stress and anxiety.
• Zumba, hills and other dances. They promote self-expression, give a feeling of joy and self-confidence, and are entertaining and relaxing.

Where to start training

1. Starting training for any sport should be done with a cautious and smart approach to avoid injury and stay motivated.
2. Consultation with a doctor. Most often, sports under stress have no contraindications. However, before starting a new exercise program if you have a chronic illness, it is recommended that you consult with your doctor.
3. Setting goals. Determine what exactly you want to achieve. The goals of athletes are different: improving physical fitness, losing weight, strengthening muscles, increasing endurance, relaxing after work. Motivation is the foundation of regular exercise and will help you remind yourself why you exercise.
4. Start with simple exercises. It is recommended to start training with simple exercises in order to gradually adapt the body to physical activity. Walking, easy running, cycling, swimming will smoothly lead to intense activity.
5. Set realistic goals. Be realistic about your capabilities and expectations.
6. Follow your workout routine. Work with your trainer to create a regular workout schedule. In the beginning this may be 2-3 times a week. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts.
7. Variety of workouts. Develop different types of training: aerobic, strength, flexibility and balance exercises. This will help develop the body proportionally.
8. Recovery. Pay attention to recovery: weekends, healthy sleep, nutrition are needed to prevent overwork.
9. Recording the results. Keep a training log to record your progress. This will help you see real results and maintain motivation. The 5th Element fitness club has a wellness consultant who diagnoses body indicators using a Tanita device. This will allow you to find out the percentage of fat mass, muscle and water in the body. Follow-up testing is also important to monitor progress against established goals, changes in body performance, and changes in training. ​

We recommend starting classes in a group, with friends, family members or under the guidance of a trainer. This is important for maintaining motivation and creating a more relaxed environment.

How to exercise correctly so as not to burn out

Burnout in sports occurs when an athlete sets too ambitious goals, quickly increases the workload, or does not pay attention to recovery.

How to recognize burnout

Decreased performance. Results in training and competitions deteriorate, despite increased workload.

Physical fatigue. Feeling constantly tired, even after prolonged sleep and rest.

Decreased immunity. Diseases often appear due to a weakened immune system.

Changes in appetite. It manifests itself in a complete lack of appetite or, conversely, an increased desire to eat.

Changes in emotional state. Despite the fact that sport relieves stress, the body may have a reverse reaction: increased irritability, anxiety, depression or loss of motivation.

How to Avoid Burnout

Be patient in achieving big goals. You should break them down into small tasks and approach them gradually. These goals include losing weight, gaining muscle mass, and increasing strength. All this is achieved through regular training and takes time.

Restore. In pursuit of a good figure, it is important to give yourself rest. This means proper sleep, massage, rest days between workouts.

Maintain motivation. Develop an interest in training. Experiment with different types of physical activity, participate in group classes, work out with a trainer to gain new experiences.